What causes the 90 degree shank on a chip?

[DocWu1948]

I cannot remember when I last shanked a driver or wood. I know I haven't shanked an iron in months, but it seems like half my chips lately fly off away from me. Cost me six strokes yesterday. Is it the classic cause, where the grass is turning the blade so it hits off the hosel?

[$2 Nassau]

Tough to ever shank a driver or wood, since the hosel stops on top of the club, whereas irons the hosel typically reaches all the way down the heel-side of the face.

It could be any number of reasons, like the one you mention above.

You could be simply too close to the ball, or leaning towards the ball on the downswing causing you to get too close.

You could have a drastically open clubface.

You could be coming too much from the inside and leading with the heel.

You could be coming too much from the outside and leading with the heel.

I'm sure there's more.

[DocWu1948]

Trying to chip like a putt with minimal body turn. Maybe time to do it different.

[alo1984]

Can pretty much guarantee you are coming over the top. The ideal swing path for a chip or pitch is slightly in to out, just like every other shot. Get to a practice green and work it out.

[saevel25]

Try chipping were you keep looking at the spot you hit the chip even after hitting it. Alot of times, people start looking up and that brings the hozel towards the ball. Also, make sure your weight is 90%+ on your left leg when chipping.

[MJP]

Remember this golden rule.

Open clubface, gotta swing out to in to square it up.

Closed clubface, gotta swing in to out to square it up.

Most chip with a closed club face and pitch with maybe a slightly open one. So if you are making a pitch shot with a very open clubface (like 70 degrees or something crazy), you will have to swing very out to in to hit it straight.

I usually just use my 60 degree and don't open the face and try to make a fairly square stroke. But now that I think about it, it's almost always an out to in stroke when i am trying to get the ball high in the air.

Just think about it. If it is open and in to out, you hit with the heel of the club. Closed and out to in, you hit it with the toe.

Both are shanks.

[sean_miller]

Trying to chip like a putt with minimal body turn. Maybe time to do it different.

My guess is that you're either trying to flip the ball up into the air or you've heard an "in-to-out" swing path is ideal and are overdoing it. Or maybe one of 100 other things.

[JackLee]

You could be decelerating. I have read that this is a common cause of shanking.

[iacas]

Remember this golden rule.

What do these things mean?

Just think about it. If it is open and in to out, you hit with the heel of the club. Closed and out to in, you hit it with the toe.

First, the toe shot is not a shank. Not how most people define it.

Second, if the clubface is open and I swing in to out, that's not really open anymore - the clubface is square to the path. In fact, the effective width of the hitting area of the clubface is smaller if you swing out to in with an open clubface or in to out with a closed clubface. For example: The effective hitting area of those clubfaces is very very small. Perhaps you can use more specific terms or phrases if others have misunderstood you. Now, to answer the question... ... it can be a number of things, but a friend of mine always had a case of the shanks when he'd set up with his arms almost too soft, and then they'd lengthen slightly during the downstroke.

[mcgriff]

Was said once, but odds are it is deceleration as you are trying to "feel" the distance you want to hit the ball. Club head falls behind and you wind up hitting fat with soft hands.

[shankalots]

"El Hossel."

[MJP]

I may have been said that wrong.

It's open club face, club face outside the hands.
Closed club face, club face inside the hands.

That's what I was trying to say.

Just try making a club head inside hands chipping motion with an open face. Shank.

[alo1984]

Remember this golden rule.

HUH?

I don't think he should think about any of that. Just sayin.

[alo1984]

but a friend of mine always had a case of the shanks when he'd set up with his arms almost too soft, and then they'd lengthen slightly during the downstroke.

I don't think I fully understand this. Wouldn't soft arms shorten during the downswing? I guess that's assuming he strengthened his arms during the downswing?

[iacas]

I don't think I fully understand this. Wouldn't soft arms shorten during the downswing? I guess that's assuming he strengthened his arms during the downswing?

Why would they shorten? He artificially shortened them (bent elbows mostly) at setup, and the force of the downswing lengthened them a little and he'd shank it. He needed to feel a bit further from the ball and reach a bit to straighten his arms a bit at setup.

[DocWu1948]

Well, going there an hour early today to hit chips. No more fooling around on the PC. Bye.

[DocWu1948]

Well, I am back after a 46/51 and believe I know the cause. The base of my club bumps the ground, and usually stops. The clubface turns and kicks the ball sideways. Deceleration and arms getting longer was my read. Putting the ball out further from my body was my on-course fix, after three shanks, two on one hole. LOL, none of that happened during my practice session. Next season, a new swing will be needed for chipping. A lesson from a Pro should be booked.

Anyway a great day for golf, with 70 degrees in Northern Illinois and November coming in seven days. We get 50 mph winds forecast for the next two days. Ugh.

[AlexMac]

... it can be a number of things, but a friend of mine always had a case of the shanks when he'd set up with his arms almost too soft, and then they'd lengthen slightly during the downstroke.

I found this to be very interesting as I am plagued with shanking chips at the minute.

Taking a lesson tomorrow...